Arab energy ministers step up coordination on Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman opened the session by calling on member countries to cooperate in order to achieve the organization’s goals. (Qatar News Agency)

• The ministers approved Qatar to host the 12th Arab Energy Conference at the end of 2023.

RIYADH: Members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries held their annual meeting on Thursday to discuss activating regional green initiatives.
OAPEC assigned its Executive Office to coordinate with Saudi Arabia and work with member states as part of the Middle East Green Initiative launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March.
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who presided over the meeting, opened the session by calling on member countries to cooperate in order to achieve the organization’s goals.
The meeting also discussed adopting a circular carbon economy to help address the issue of carbon emissions in an economically sustainable manner, and including it each country’s national contributions.
The ministers also approved Qatar to host the 12th Arab Energy Conference at the end of 2023.
OAPEC Secretary-General Ali Sabt Ben Sabt welcomed the ministers, and said he looked forward to their continued support for the organization’s activity.
The meeting approved the OAPEC’s estimated budget project for next year.
The council reviewed reports and studies on oil and energy, and followed-up on the outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow last month.
Syria will assume the presidency of the next session of the Council of Ministers and the Executive Office of the organization, for a period of one year, starting from January. The next OAPEC Council of Ministers meeting will be held in Kuwait in December next year.